Device for introducing gas into liquids

ABSTRACT

In a device for introducing gases into liquids, in particular water, at least one prefilter being incorporated into the liquid feed, followed by an atomization device with a connection to a gas supply, and at least one further postfilter being incorporated between the atomization device and a storage container, the filters, the atomization device and the storage container are combined in a modular design to form a compact installation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for introducing gases into liquids, inparticular water, at least one prefilter being incorporated into theliquid feed, followed by an atomization device with a connection to agas supply, and at least one further postfilter being incorporatedbetween the nozzle device and a storage container.

Drinking water is the most important foodstuff for sustaining life.However, under current conditions, drinking water is also a manufacturedfoodstuff. Environmental pollutants from industry and traffic, plantprotection agents, over-fertilization and so on are increasinglycontaminating groundwater and surface water. Throughout the world,waterworks are often only able to observe the legally prescribeddrinking water regulations and the fixed limits, in particular withregard to the contents of pollutants such as nitrates, chlorine andarsenic by employing considerable effort and resources.

Another element which is important for the survival of human beings isoxygen. It is known, for example, to carry out a therapy using oxygen,in which high levels of oxygen are supplied to the body via the lungs.

Furthermore, PCT/IB97/00930 also discloses a process in which water isenriched with oxygen, and this drink is used for therapeutic purposes onpeople and animals.

It is the principle object of the present invention to provide a deviceand process for filtering and oxygenating water which operatesefficiently and is simple to handle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing object is achieved by the invention wherein the filters,the atomization device and the storage container are combined in amodular design to form a compact installation.

This arrangement results in a device which can be employed not only inan industrial context but also as a domestic appliance for families andpatients, in particular after stays at a health resort or therapies.

A significant feature of an improved embodiment of the present inventionis that the storage container and/or the filter(s) is/are releasablyconnected to a support device. If this applies, for example, to thestorage container, then the latter can be removed from the supportdevice, after having been filled with oxygen-enriched water, and can beplaced on a dining table, office desk or the like. Meanwhile, a furtherstorage container can already be connected to the support device andfilled.

However, the releasability also applies to the filters, since theseshould be cleaned and/or exchanged from time to time.

The technical form taken by the releasability function will be ofsecondary importance. There are numerous commercially availablepossibilities for accomplishing this. The important factor is that whenthe storage container or the filter is released, the line is closed atthe same time, so that water or oxygen-enriched water does not leak outof an open line in an undesired manner. Here too, there are a largenumber of known nonreturn valves or the like.

A pump unit, via which the water is pumped through the filters, may alsobe assigned to the support device or to the connection to a water mainsystem. The pump unit ensures that the pressure of the water in the lineis increased to a desired operating pressure, and it is also possiblefor flowback to be prevented and for pressure to be compensated in thepump unit.

In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the prefilter is amultistage filter. A first layer of this filter preferably comprisescellulose and serves to separate out coarse particles, such as forexample sand, rust or the like. This is followed by a second layer ofmetallic composition, which mainly comprises copper and/or zinc andother metals and which, when water flows through, brings aboutelectrophoresis, an electrokinetic phenomenon, namely the migration ofcharged particles which are dissolved in liquid, with the result thatthere is a reduction of chlorins in an oxidation-reduction reaction andalso sterilization takes place.

This second layer is preferably followed by a third layer of sinteredgranular activated carbon, in which in particular taste- andodor-bearing substances are adsorbed on flowing through each activatedcarbon particle in the entire level. The activated carbon granules, withtheir macropores and mesopores and a size of at most 0.1 mm, have aninternal surface area of up to 14,000 m² per gram. In a filter with adiameter of 80 mm and approximately 460 g of activated carbon granules,a liquid volume of one liter of water is flushed and filtered, in acompletely chaotic path, over a chemically pure surface of 680,000 m²within one minute at a pressure of 4 bar. A suitable material ismanufactured by Ernst Schweizer AG of Lindau, Switzerland and sold underthe name FILTERBLOC.

The postfilter, by contrast, will essentially be a carbo-monoblockfilter. Every relatively large dirt particle or microbe will inevitablybe deposited upstream of this filter block, since they are unable topenetrate its pores. If a microbe should nevertheless penetrate into theinner labyrinth, it will be deposited in the inner labyrinth, thusruling out any rearrangement or return to the filtrate. The compensationof adsorption isotherms takes place inevitably and is not linked to timeand flow rate. This filter serves exclusively for the sterilization ofthe water.

The value of the above filters lies in the characteristic,physicochemical property and/or in the fact that a specific adsorptionand ion exchange takes place in a straightforward manner without the useof chemical agents.

It is also conceivable to use special filters, specifically membranesmade of porous glass. These membranes have the advantage that theirmolecular sieve can be adjusted. Porous glass can be processed to formcapillary membranes of adjustable pore size. It has proven particularlyeffective where corrosive media are used or where an inert reactionvessel is required. The pores can be made to measure and can be set toan accuracy of 1 nm within a range from 10 to 100 mm.

Another essential element of the present device is the atomizationdevice. In the atomization device, oxygen is mixed with the water. Theoxygen atoms hold 6 electrons in the outer electron shell, which caneasily be built up to form a noble gas shell (8-electron shell) bytaking up two further electrons. As a result, the oxygen atom has twonegative charges (single electrons, unpaired electrons).

Since oxygen has a higher atomic number than hydrogen, the formerattracts the latter's electrons, leading to an asymmetric distributionof the positive and negative charges in the water molecule. Van derWaals forces lead to the formation of hydrogen bonds and crystallinelattices. This results in water clusters, like a type of molecularnetwork, which can trap gas atoms and hold them between the meshes. Inthis process, so-called ionic bonds are formed, specifically between thewater and oxygen molecules. As described, oxygen molecules lie in thegaps between the water molecules and are covered over by the network, inthe manner of a kind of water membrane.

The maximum oxygen concentration is dependent on the flow set and isestablished only after approximately 5 minutes. The desired flow can beselected in a stepless manner using a fixed pressure reducer andintegrated helices and different nozzle sizes, so that no measurementsor subsequent adjustments are required. In practice, it has been foundthat suitable atomization allows an uptake of 70 to 90 mg per liter ofwater to be achieved.

A number of devices are available for atomization. For example, amembrane system can be used. A further possibility is a venturi tubewith following nozzle. Also possible are a pressure microchamber,ultrasonic atomization or molecular sieve atomization.

Overall, the installation according to the invention operates veryeconomically and is easy to handle.

Water is not the only suitable liquid, but rather in particular anyliquid may be considered. A gas other than oxygen may be introduced intothe liquid as the gas serving for specific purposes. Consideration maybe given, for example, to helium or laughing gas, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will emergefrom the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments andwith reference to the drawing, the single Figure of which shows adiagrammatic depiction of a device according to the invention forintroducing oxygen and other gases into liquids.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to the invention, this device is designed as a compactinstallation, the individual elements being provided on or in a supportdevice 1.

A water connection to a normal water main or some other link is denotedby 2. The water or liquid passes to a pump unit 3, which pumps the waterthrough a prefilter 14. According to the invention, this prefilter 14 ischosen to be a so-called multistage filter, which comprises a firstlayer 4 of cellulose material for separation of coarse particles and asecond layer 5 of a material of metallic composition which causes anoxidation-reduction reaction in the water, which leads to a reduction ofthe chlorins in the water.

The second layer 5 is followed by a third layer 6, in which granularactivated carbon is situated.

From the prefilter 14, the water passes to an atomization device 7. Inthe atomization device 7, oxygen is mixed with the water through aconnection 8, resulting in a close attachment between the oxygenmolecules and the water molecules.

From the atomization device 7, the water/oxygen mixture passes into apostfilter 9, which in this case is preferably a carbo-monoblock filter,which ensures sterilization. The carbo-monoblock filter is made of asintered activated carbon granulate material forming an internallabyrinth.

This postfilter 9 is followed by a postatomization stage 10 via a nozzleor membranes, which postatomization stage is in turn connected to astorage container 11, which for its part is followed by a water tap 12.

It is diagrammatically indicated that the storage container 11 isreleasably connected to the support device 1 and the postatomizationstage 10, a quick-acting coupling 13 being shown only diagrammatically.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theillustrations described and shown herein, which are deemed to be merelyillustrative of the best modes of carrying out the invention, and whichare susceptible of modification of form, size, arrangement of parts anddetails of operation. The invention rather is intended to encompass allsuch modifications which are within its spirit and scope as defined bythe claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for introducing gases into liquidscomprises a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, a liquid prefilterdownstream of said liquid inlet, an atomization unit downstream of saidliquid prefilter, gas inlet means associated with said atomization unitfor introducing a gas into said liquid to form a gas enriched liquid, apostfilter downstream of said atomization unit for receiving said gasenriched liquid, and a storage container downstream of said postfilterwherein a post-atomization stage is provided between said postfilter andsaid storage container.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein saidprefilter, said atomization unit, said postfilter and said storagecontainer are combined in a modular design to form a compactinstallation.
 3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the storagecontainer the prefilter and the postfilter are removable.
 4. A deviceaccording to claim 3 including a pump unit.
 5. A device according toclaim 1 wherein the prefilter is a multistage filter comprising a firststage for removing coarse particles, a second stage for reducingchlorine content and for sterilization, and a third stage for removingtaste and odor.
 6. A device according to claim 5 wherein said firststage includes a cellulose filter, said second stage includes a metallicfilter and said third stage includes a sintered activated carbon filter.7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said postfilter includes acarbo-monoblock filter.